Xanadu Weyr - Observation Level
Dark blue seats form a semi-circle around the sands below, the lowest row separating from the sands themselves by merely a railing. The seats climb upwards, each row a bit higher then the previous, and they are broken up into sections by 3 sets of staircases. Lights are evenly spaced along the outer wall, lighting the seats and the sands easily, though they tend to be dimmed unless a major event is taking place. A large balcony looms overhead, darkening some of the seats, providing a place for observers of the draconic kind to watch without obstructing the view for others.
When one looks over the railing, the oddly hued sand below can be seen easily, the circle-shaped area of the sands spread out to the far walls, the sand itself a unique mixture of red and white grains.
Evening at Xanadu has brought many out to the supposed peacefulness of the observation level of the hatching arena - some are watching eggs, some are talking to the others, and some, like Marte, are leaning against one of the various support poles, arms crossed in front of her as gaze flicks from this youth to that one, shaking her head and muttering to herself, eyes lifting to glare at Vwayath where he's settled on one of the high ledges, before looking back at those present. "No.. No… Maybe…"
Tipping her fingers lightly and rhythmically on the top of the barrier surrounding the hatching sands, Heeva walks slowly from one end of the observation level to the other, her eyes never leaving the lumps of red and white sand covering the newly laid eggs. She seems to be humming to herself, and maybe even to the eggs themselves, as she walks, seemingly quite oblivious to the others around her.
As the teenager walks around the edge of the balcony, Marte's gaze moves with her. One step. Two steps. And then Marte hums a bit herself, pondering, as she blows off a younger man who's taken that moment to approach her, though know knows about what. A rumble from above accompanies her as she moves to step into Heeva's path, asking plainly, "Like the eggs?"
The older dragonhealer steps in the hatching area, in the galleries of course and he sighs softly. "Gosh, I didn't remember this room being so hot." He says simply as he goes to sit and gaze at the eggs.
Startled, Heeva looks up into the face of the older woman, noting the warm tint in her hazel eyes. "Oh, yes maam! They're fascinating. I managed to get here to see some of the first ones laid. That striped one is amazing, I wonder what colour will hatch out of /that/ one?" Heeva somehow feels at ease in the company of this woman though they've never met, and somehow feels she has a strong empathy with the dragons.
Marte moves to lean against the railing, one elbow touching it while she tilts, gaze shifting from the young woman next to her to the eggs. "Probably not what you expect - I've stopped betting on what comes out of what egg, because I never have any luck." No luck at all. "I'll stick to other… things." And then the woman is quickly turning away from the subject of bets and marks, shaking her head hurried. "Just come to look at them, then?" Like half the weyr who has gathered alone, in pairs, or even in small groups through the galleries, still causing a certain level of background noise.
With a snort the slumbering Weyrleader makes a less than delicate awakening. R'sul's right leg is splinted, propped up on the seat in front of him, and it takes him a moment to gain his bearings once more. Blinking a few times he glances around the observation level, mostly to see who caught him snoring.
K'vin turns his head as he hears the snort and he raises his hand, saluting. "Greetings Weyrleader, slept well?" He asks softly, smiling a bit.
"People /bet/ on what colour dragon hatches from which egg?" Heeva blinks rapidly in amazement. "Sorry maam, but I come from a remote cothold, and am /still/ not familiar with the ways of the weyrs yet." Then she turns her head quickly as she catches the sound of a sonorous snore behind her, and stifles a chuckle as she sees that its none other than the weyrleader R'sul. Then, turning back to the woman at her side, she says, "I'm Heeva maam." And holds out her hand in greeting.
"Marte.." The brownrider replies with ease, shaking Heeva's hand before returning to leaning against the railing, gaze drifting rather nervously to R'sul before back to the girl. "Oh, they do. What color from what egg, which candidate will get what color, even what color hatches first. Lots of luck, really. Some swear that once the candidates have touched, they'll tell you what's what, but I've had no luck with that." Another nervous glance to R'sul, and then she's ducking a bit. "Maybe you should, ah.. see if he needs anything." Marte's not getting that close, nope, and instead she's retreating to settle near her fellow dragonhealer, clearly rather flustered.
R'sul blinks again, running a hand through his messed up hair and succeding in only making it messier before replying to K'vin with a grin. "Better than I should have, though I'm going to regret it later." The others in the galleries are given a quick once over and a polite nod to each - if he caught Heeva's amusement he's certainly not letting on. "Ladies." His greeting is short, formal, perhaps trying to regain a little of his dignity.
From the sands, Hesketh's awakening is slightly more dignified than his rider's. In fact unless you were really looking in his direction at the time you might miss it completely. One eye slits open, his tails flicks slightly, but he doesn't life his head from the sands.
K'vin turns his head to Marte and chuckles lightly. "Nervous because you talked about betting?" He asks softly as he watches Heeva with another smile. "I think everyone knows by now."
"Well met Marte. I'll steer away from betting then." Heeva nods vigorously then turns to where R'sul is sitting and nods toward him, "evening sir." Noting another older man standing on the other side of Marte, she looks at him enquiringly, waiting for him to offer his name, though his rank of Senior dragon healer is well noted.
"Its worse than that.." Marte mutters under her breath, as she shifts so that K'vin is positioned between herself and R'sul, the woman trying to make herself as small as possible to avoid further detection, gaze pausing on the bronze upon the sands. Well, she can't hide from him too. Boo.
From the sands, Hesketh moves slowly, getting to his feet and moving towards the galleries, his eyes fixed on Marte. There's no menace about him, yet, he makes no noise, just simply walks over and stretches his neck up so that he can get a better look at her.
R'sul's gaze makes one mor quick treck around the group, confusino clear about Marte's behaviour. Settling ont he more tactful approach, after filling away a mental note to talk to her later, he asks, "I don't supose anyone brought anything to drink with them, did they?"
K'vin smiles at Heeva and outstretches his hand to her. "I'm K'vin, bronze Khirsath's rider and senior dragonhealer, nice to meet you." He says as introduction. He then turns slightly to Marte. "Well, what is it then?"
Heeva smiles and shakes the outstretched hand offered by K'vin. Then, trying to look as unobtrusive as possible, Heeva looks away from the interchange between the older man and Marte, and instead looks back at the sands, smiling a little at the large bronze who opens one eye lazily, and then steps back a pace as he walks over to where they are standing.
Marte has a look of pure terror on her face as the Weyrleader's bronze begins to not only move, but look at her. And that's enough to send her scurrying up a few more rungs of stairs, but not before in a low whisper for K'vin's ears only, she offers, "You dun want to know, you'll get in trouble too then." Steps are skipped quickly in her attempt to put some more distance between herself and the rest of the group, either not hearing or not responding to R'sul's question.
From the sands, Hesketh huffs a breath at Marte as she moves, inspecting her as carefully as possible from where he stands. Apparently not pleased with the look he's getting he stretches up further, lifting his forefeet from the ground to gain more height and spreading his wings for balance.
R'sul glances round the little group again and then nods, "I'll take that as a no then." He's grinning, taking the edge off an otherwise sarcastic comment. He hunts around for a moment, looking for his crutch, but pauses as Hesketh moves in closer again. His eyes glaze in the calssic dragon-rider internal speech mode.
K'vin shrugs at Marte. "Come on, he isn't going to bite you, you know?" He teases her. "You can talk to me, I'm not going to repeat, I swear." He adds with another grin. "What can be so bad that you fear a dragon that much?"
Frank surprise registers on Heeva's face, her eyebrows lifting almost into her spiky blonde hair at Marte's seemingly odd behaviour and looks rapidly between her and the approaching dragon. Understanding dawns as she realizes that it's the approaching dragon Marte seems mortally afraid of. But she's a dragon healer, why would she be afraid of a dragon? So immersed is she in her musings, Heeva doesn't even consider to herself be afraid, but instead watches his approaching with frank fascination, and thinks to herself, "my, but you're beautiful!" and rumbles in her chest to him.
Marte belatedly shakes her head at R'sul from where she is perched higher in the galleries, keeping a trio of weyrbrats who are probably almost past their bed time between them. "It wasn't my fault, Hesketh." She practically hisses, though her voice carries enough to cause a number of people to look up in surprise. She just shakes her head at K'vin, as if to merely say, 'Oh, there is reason enough'.
From the sands, Hesketh's head moves quickly, but not towards Marte this time. His attention shifts to K'vin for a brief second, then it's Heeva's turn to be stared at. Rather than trying to chastise Marte it appears he is infact having a galleries inspection to see who's there and staring.
R'sul's attention moves on to Marte, however. His mental note to talk to her is getting added to all the time, and there's a look of genuine curiosity on his face. A low rumble from Hesketh catches his attention again, qand once more his eyes glaze. After a moment he waves a hand towards Heeva. "Heeva?" There's a pause as he hopes he got her name right, "Come here a second?"
K'vin shakes his head again at Marte. "Come on, tell me." he says calmly. "That's getting ridiculous, no one ever got hurt by a dragon, unless a hatching and that's not willingly."
Marte slowly begins to creep back down the galleries as Hesketh and R'sul's attention drifts back to Heeva, and she's in the clear for now. "I'm not afraid of him. Afraid of what his rider'll do, if Hesketh figures something out." Always cryptic, she is, as the latest whisper is passed to K'vin.
Looking up from her contemplation of Hesketh's beauty, Heeva responds to R'sul's call. "Yes, weyrleader? On my way." She moves over to where he's sitting, carefully avoiding his outstretched leg, and stands respectfully before him.
R'sul is torn, Marte or Heeva which one to talk to first. He lets out a slight sigh, "Timing." Th emutter isn't directed at anyone in particular, but it's Heeva who wins out in the battle of firstness. "Apologies for not standing up to ask you this…. Actually you might want to sit down. Um… look, there's no easy way to do this so I'll just jump on in. Hesketh wants to know if you'll do him the honour of joining him on the sands when the eggs hatch?"
K'vin shakes his head slightly. "You're going to have to explain it to someone eventually you know?" He asks softly. "And it looks like R'sul is busy right now so?"
At first what the weyrleader has just said doesn't register in Heeva's mind, but when it does, her knees go weak and she does, indeed sit next to him with a suddenness borne out of necessity. "HesHesketh /asked/ me to join /him/ on the sands when the eggs hatch?" she says, stupidly repeating his statement. "Me? But why?, too impress?" this is just too amazing to Heeva to absorb, and she runs her hands distractedly through her hair. "Yes! Of course, it would be an honour Hesketh" she blurts out more to the bronze than the weyrleader.
Marte is free, at least for the time being. Though she gets distracted as R'sul's asking Heeva a rather different sort of question, and she takes that opportunity to add a simple, 'Stuff is missing', and that seems to be all she'll say on the matter, getting up and starting to sneak out. Now, if she can just get to the foyer without getting stopped…
R'sul nods, aiming a gentle pat at Heeva's shoulder in what he hopes is a reassuring fashion, "Yes you. As to why… I have no idea. They decide and we ask, that's how it goes. No promises on Impression though." His attention wanders for a moment, "Marte. Can you wait please?" Caught. Back to Heeva he adds, "Is there anyone you need to tell. You can move into the barracks straight away, but I can arrange a messenger or something for you?"
K'vin shakes his head slightly as Marte tries to slip away but he doesn't comment, relaxing back on the chair and sighing softly.
"I'm, well honoured Sir, that Hesketh chose me, and I understand about the impressing. No one knows who the little dragons will choose do they?" rhetorical question notwithstanding, she continues, "No sir, I don't need to tell anyone, I'm here alone. My Da and brother are at sea for a long time, so I could move at any time."
Marte almost makes it, as she's past the halfway mark on the stairs. For a moment it seems as if she comtemplates continue to go, as if she didn't hear R'sul, but then she's pausing to look back at the Weyrleader with a tilt of her head, waiting for his next words.
R'sul nods slowly, "That's fine, but if you change your mind then let somsone know. Okay?" Glancing back over to Marte he smiles, waivng her back over. "Marte, would you take Heeva down to the barracks and get her settled in? I'm not the fastest at moving at the moment, and the stairs are… well you can imagine." He taps his splint to clarify what he means. K'vin is not forgotten, then man get a quick smile.
K'vin turns his head to R'sul and nods his head. "And shall I get us something to drink?" He asks with a smile. "That is, if you want to, weyrleader."
Heeva stands shakily and looks expectantly over at Marte, then tips what she thinks is a light salute at the weyrleader, "Thanks Sir, I mean, for everything" she trails off, and makes room for K'vin to move in next to R'sul.
Marte nods quickly, motioning for Heeva to join her as she heads the rest of the way down the stairs, just hoping that the girl will follow along without any additional prodding, for she doesn't truly look back to check on Heeva's progress.
Xanadu Weyr - Candidate Barracks
A long, low ceiling room opens off the entrance hall to the arena, one wall slightly curved as it is set against the outer wall of the arena itself. Cots are set evenly the length of the room, in two rows, each with its own small press at the foot, for personal belongings. Wide windows are spaced along the outside wall, letting sunlight in, while other lights are available for the night time hours.
Marte pauses inside the long room that is the candidate barracks, stepping aside to allow Heeva to join her, motioning her. "There aren't a lot left, but pick one that's open, and its yours. No sex, no alcohol, no leaving with a rider so you can get back, should the eggs begin to rock." And then it seems that its what she has to say, attention drifting back to Heeva, still looking as if she'd rather bolt completely than be hanging around.
Heeva blinks at the older woman's direct injunctions to no alcohol and no sex. No problem for me she thinks, and looks around the low ceilinged room carefully, and spies an as yet unused cot and heads for it. "Thanks Maam, I'll behave!" and gives a cheeky smile, quite unlike her usual solemn demeanor.
Marte eyes her for one more moment, before nodding with a satisfied look. "I'm sure you will." And then she's ducking back out the way she came - must get away from the Weyrleader.